The less you have the less you need...

We were given books for Baby Dedication by Edith Schaeffer called What is a Family.  So far I've been skipping from chapter to chapter (bad habit of reading books) however just came across the chapter " An Economic Unit".  She speaks of how families are working so hard to lay up for themselves treasure here on earth and working so hard to create future financial security for themselves, but in the meantime our families are suffering.  Sure our kids get everything they could ever want and of course are the best dressed around, mom doesn't suffer too much either.  She's got the weekly appointments for manis, pedis, and hair after work, so of course there's no time to cook and dad is so busy with his new man toys that he totally forgot about his son's baseball practice and certainly can't make the game Friday because he's got to work to pay for all these good things plus the brand new dream home they've been working towards since they were married.

She touches on these things and then brings it back to the Garden of Eden where it all started with Adam and Eve.  Adam is named head of the home, and because of sin he is given a command which is part of the curse- he must work to produce food and the necessities of life.  Eve is told that the multiplied possiblity of conceiving children is part of her "sorrow."  Her relationship with Adam will not be as perfect as it was before and they'll have to work at it much harder now.  The economic responsibility was not going to be a joyous one, and there began the long process of some kind of work being needed to provide the necessities of life: food, drink, shelter, and clothing -- differing greatly from century to century and from place to place as to what is considered "necessary."  "In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return to unto the ground...Gen. 3:19.

Defining "necessities" would be the important factor I have gathered from this chapter.  I desire to have a closeness in my family, one that requires much time and intention.  I desire for my children to know what it means to work for what you have, but also to know when what you have is enough.  I want my children to see "family" as a top priority.  As I thought about these truths this morning I began thinking on the verse in Matthew 6:19..."Do not lay up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  But lay up for yourselves treasure in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is there will be your heart also.

Bottom line, if I want my life to be full of nice things and great riches, then I must be willing to sacrifice the family closeness and spiritual growth I desire.  Because in order to attain those things I must sacrifice much time, effort, and energy.  Not that we can't have some of those things, but at what cost and length am I willing to go to to have them.  I have discovered it is a hard enough task to work for and keep up with the necessities.  I long to be a mom who imparts much truth to her children and lives it out before them so that they might learn and grow to do the same, but do it better!  I know their eyes are always watching...

Lord, help me to be diligent to teach them faithfully to followYOU and not their own desires!